The Haunted South: Where Ghosts Still Roam

THE GRAY LADY

96 'Ifie (jray Lady She walks across the barriers oftime to warn the living Few there are who have not heard the story of the Gray Man of Pawley's Island, South Carolina. He walks the sandy strand of that island to warn inhabitants of impending hurricanes. But less known is the story of another South Carolina ghost called the Gray Lady and that is a shame. For she walks not on the sands of the shore but from out of the mist of history at the edge of men's minds. She walks as does the Gray Man to carry a warning from the dead to the living, a warning of impending danger and the possibility of assistance. She first appeared to save the life of her brother, bringing the garments of a monk which enabled him to disguise himself and escape the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. That was in France four hundred years ago and from time to time after that she appeared to descendants or intimates of the De Saurin family. It is strange that such an old ghost should appear so young to those who see her. That a ghost could be both beautiful and frightening at the same time is not onlypossible-itis, it has beenand itmaybeagainfor there is no proof that she has left South Carolina. Nina Beaumont knew little about the De Saurin family in Camden when Raoul De Saurin, whom she had consented to marry, invited her there almost a century ago. It was Halloween and a gay party was assembled in one of the beautifully furnished rooms of"Lausanne," thename thefamily had given to their home. Among the paintings of her future husband's ancestors was one ofa lovely girl in the garb ofa nun. The face was infinitelysadand somehow Nina's gaze kept returning to it. She began to question Raoul about thenunand his reluctanceto talkaboutherwas soon apparent. "It is such a wild and rainy night outside and so cheerful in this room that I want only to talk about happy things," said Raoul gently. But this just aroused Nina's curiosity further and other members of the party joined in, begging him to tell the story. Finally, he consented. "Thename of the girl was EloiseDe Saurinandshe had been confined to a convent by her father to prevent her from marrying a young man who was not ofher faith. Theconvent where he placed herwas one of the most severe of the day and after she had spent only a year there Eloise died. Her death was followed shortly afterwards by that of her grieving mother. The father, Darce De Saurin, in a moment of guilt and despair, took his own life. His two sons whom he had banished because of their Protestant sympathies were summoned and arrived in time to hear his confession. He claimed that he had seen Eloise herself and his belief that she had come to reproach him led him to stab himself with the same dagger with which he had threatened the life of the 97 98 young man she loved." "The story goes that later she appeared to the brothers , who recognized her instantly, and she left the garments in which my namesake, Raoul, was to escape being massacred. Jules did not escape and was murdered." "So," said Raoul, "her appearances, according to family tradition , have happened each time before some tragic event in our family. She has always been seen by some member of the family and with the same expression of sorrow. But so far she has not deigned to visit any of us," he said, smiling and making light of the whole story. The Court Inn at Camden, South Carolina where the Gray Lady was last seen is no longer standing 99 100 Nina, however, couldnotsmile for her goodspirits had fled and she felt both depressed and apprehensive . After the guests left sheand Raoul stayed to talk awhile longer. Then she went up to her room. Try as she would to go to sleep, she could not, so, throwing on a robe, she decided to go·down the hall and see if Raoul's sister was still awake. She took the candle holder from her bedside table and started down the dark hall which was illuminated dimly by the moonlight coming in the window at the end...